This is my first posting, and I hope that this issue has not been covered before/recently. I have searched the archives and couldn't find anything.
Anyway, I would like to upload some older photographs as I have done before, however, I would like to know the best way in which to do this. I scan my photos, not the negatives, and then treat a bit like the digital versions, with one notable exception. I remove noise but this can make the photo look a bit soft. Is is better to leave the noise on, afterall, it is a photograph? Any advice or help from the many experts out there would be most appreciated. Thanks.

Quoting Raptors (Thread starter):I scan my photos, not the negatives, and then treat a bit like the digital versions, with one notable exception. I remove noise but this can make the photo look a bit soft. Is is better to leave the noise on, afterall, it is a photograph?

I have always found that noise removal software (I use Neat Image) removes noise quite nicely but indeed does 'soften' the end result, irrespective whether the image comes from a flatbed scanner or a film negative scanner. Using Photoshop LE I just apply one dab of the sharpen tool to the whole image and this seems to do the trick quite nicely. Personally I think it is better to remove the noise however others might say otherwise